Steele is a city in southern Pemiscot County in the

Missouri Bootheel The Missouri Bootheel is a salient located in the southeasternmost part of the U.S. state of Missouri, extending south of 36°30′ north latitude, so called because its shape in relation to the rest of the state resembles the heel of a boot. ...

of southeastern

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

, United States. The population was 1,853 at the 2020 census.

History

The Steele post office was in operation from 1896 to 2017. The community has the name of L. L. Steele, an early settler. The community was a point along the

St. Louis–San Francisco Railway The St. Louis–San Francisco Railway , commonly known as the "Frisco", was a railroad that operated in the Midwest and South Central United States from 1876 to April 17, 1980. At the end of 1970, it operated of road on of track, not includi ...

. In 1912, Steele contained seven general stores, three cotton gins, a sawmill and a gristmill.

Geography

Steele is located in southern Pemiscot County, approximately five miles north of the Missouri-

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...

state line. The community is on

Missouri Route 164 Route 164 is a state highway in the Missouri Bootheel. The route starts at U.S. Route 412 (US 412) in Cardwell. The route travels eastward across the bootheel, and it goes through the towns of Arbyrd, Hornersville, Rives, and Steele. It be ...

and

U.S. Route 61 U.S. Route 61 or U.S. Highway 61 (U.S. 61) is a major United States highway that extends between New Orleans, Louisiana and the city of Wyoming, Minnesota. The highway generally follows the course of the Mississippi River and is designate ...

Interstate 55 Interstate 55 (I-55) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, connecting the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes. The h ...

passes just to the east of the city. Caruthersville is on the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...

, eleven miles northeast of Steele. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 2,172 people, 838 households, and 551 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 919 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 77.53%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 18.69%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.46% Native American, 0.37%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 1.38% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.57% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 2.16% of the population. There were 838 households, of which 38.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.5% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 19.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.2% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.12. The median age in the city was 35.4 years. 29.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.8% were from 25 to 44; 23% were from 45 to 64; and 14.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.6% male and 53.4% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 2,263 people, 887 households, and 582 families living in the city. The

was 1,205.9 people per square mile (464.8/km). There were 971 housing units at an average density of 517.4 per square mile (199.4/km). The racial makeup of the city was 80.87%

, 17.41%

, 100% Native American, 0.93% from

, and 0.75% from two or more races.

of any race were 1.81% of the population. There were 887 households, out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.6% were

living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.11. In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.7% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $20,958, and the median income for a family was $29,125. Males had a median income of $30,595 versus $19,286 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $13,695. About 25.5% of families and 31.3% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 39.6% of those under age 18 and 26.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

South Pemiscot Schools South Pemiscot County R-V School District, also known as South Pemiscot Schools, is a school district headquartered in Steele, Missouri. It includes Steele, Denton, and Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 198 ...

is the local district. It operates these public schools: East Elementary School (Kindergarten), Central Elementary School (grades 1–6), and South Pemiscot High School (grades 7-12). Steele has a lending library, the Steele Public Library.

References

External links

* Historic maps of Steele in th
Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collection
at the

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou, MU, or Missouri) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Universit ...

{{authority control Cities in Pemiscot County, Missouri Cities in Missouri